Dissident Scholar Song Is North Korean Secret Agent?

Song Du-yul, a dissident scholar and German national whose visit to North Korea in 1991 led him to being brandished as North Korean agent, arrived in Seoul yesterday, ending a 37-year-long exile.

Accompanied by his wife Chung Jung-hee and two German-born sons, his lawyer Kim Hyung-tae and professor Park Ho-seong of Sogang University, the 59-year-old philosophy professor at Munich University flew in on Lufthansa flight LH712 from Berlin.

The National Intelligence Service said after his arrival that the agency expected him to make a voluntary appearance for questioning as promised.

It has not been known yet, however, when Song would meet with NIS officials and leave the country.

Meantime, the intelligence agency believes that Song is a North Korean agent who uses the alias Kim Chol-su, according to Rep. Chung Hyeong-geun of Grand National Party. Chung held a press conference at GNP building in the morning to claim, ˝Song is a secret member of the North Korean Politburo and NIS must arrest and interrogate him immediately.˝

˝Song has been left out of Sept. 23 meeting between President Roh Moo-hyun and democracy activists abroad due to his legal status,˝ said Chong Wae Dae Spokesman Yun Tae-young said at a briefing on the day, adding that he might be invited at the last minute depending on the results of interrogation by NIS.

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